Page 33 of Pillow Talk
‘I give up. What’s going on?’
‘How’s work?’
Finally. He’d forgiven her, she assumed.
‘It’s good. I got two more orders from Felicity,’ she said.
‘I mean how’s work at the shop?’
His eyes never left her face. It was as if he could see her soul.
Shona looked away.
‘It’s good,’ she lied and walked out of the bedroom.
Sen followed. She entered the kitchen, opened the fridge and pulled out two bottles of water.
‘Are you managing your business and working at the shop?’
Shona nodded – too fast.
She handed him the bottle, which he didn’t even look at before he placed it on the centre island.
Shona fumbled as she opened her bottle.
He was watching her every move.
She took a sip of water, and a few droplets ran down the side of her mouth.
Sen shook his head and walked out.
Shona stood dumbfounded. What had just happened?
She tried to figure it out for a minute before she ran out into a fully dressed Sen about to leave her apartment.
‘Seriously, Sen? Why are you being such a brat?’
Sen took a step towards her and stopped.
‘I’m being a brat? Shona, you’re the one who hasn’t grown up. I am not the Sen who tagged along like a lost puppy. I am not the Sen you saw for a few weeks once a year. I am Sen who hasbeen here for six months. Sen, who has been in your bed. Sen, who thought you trusted him. I gave you a chance to tell the truth, but you still lied. You kept something as big as quitting the shop from me because you don’t trust me. Dammit Shona, I have always been your friend.’
Shona’s mouth went dry and her ears were ringing. She tried to respond but no words came out of her mouth.
Sen shook his head.
‘I can’t do this. It’s messy. It’s complicated. It’s Shona. For fuck’s sake, Shona!’
He took one last look at her and walked out.
The taxi stopped at the red traffic light near the shop. Shona looked the other way. She couldn’t believe that she hadn’t heard from her family in almost a month. Was she being stubborn? Did she do the wrong thing? Was it disrespectful? These questions kept her up at night. She tossed and turned, replaying the scene before she’d walked out of the shop. She’d obviously hurt her parents. What else could be the reason that they couldn’t even stand to think about her. Not even a text message.
She was on her way to meet Felicity. This taxi ride to Durban was going to cost her a fortune but it would be worth it. Felicity was not just a wedding planner; she was a wedding planner for the rich and famous. And now most of her brides wanted a Shona Shah veil.
Last night when she couldn’t sleep, she sat down and worked on her budget. She had to explore hiring a seamstress. She couldn’t do it on her own. But could they work from her apartment? Shona wished she had someone to bounce these ideas off, but she didn’t. Anni and Sam had left for Paris five daysbefore. She didn’t want to disturb her friend on her birthday European trip, so she kept text messages brief and asked the usual questions about sightseeing and the cuisine.
The taxi was just nearing the freeway towards the city when her phone rang.
‘Hello.’
